A Modern Man Who Got Transmigrated Into the Murim World

Even for Jowhi, who had lived in the advanced modern city of Seoul, Anhui’s provincial capital of Hefei was an astonishing city.

If he had to describe the feeling of the modern city, it would be like opening up the interior of a newly built computer.

Uniform, systematically organized components, countless circuits connecting them, wires tangled in complexity, and the dazzling LED lights.

The appearance was so cold and dry that it gave a vague sense of danger, as if touching it would be risky.

But Hefei was different.

It was awe-inspiring, as if standing in front of the great outdoors.

Despite facing a vast and imposing city wall, there was nothing artificial about it.

Knowing that it had been built by human hands without the aid of heavy machinery, all Jowhi felt was admiration.

Unlike modern people in Seoul, who cling to subway handles and stare at their smartphones with blank expressions, the people here had “expressions.”

A woman with a frustrated face arguing with someone, a merchant with a friendly face persistently calling out to customers, a beggar holding an empty bowl with a sad expression, children following and teasing the beggars, a circus troupe performing acrobatics with playful faces, and elderly people laughing heartily at it all.

It felt like watching a giant, living creature.

It was an emotion Jowhi had rarely experienced in Korea.

That strange resonance softly filled Jowhi’s chest once again today.

“…Wow!”

Jowhyuk, with a face full of curiosity, kept looking around.

For him, experiencing Hefei for the first time was like entering another world.

Then, after noticing something, Jowhyuk dashed off and mingled with the crowd.

“Sir! Is this what they call Peking opera?”

“Haha! A grown man from the countryside, is this your first time seeing Peking opera?”

“Yes, sir! I’m from Bongtaehyun! Haha!”

“You’ve come quite a long way. Tsk tsk.”

Jowhi was always amazed by how people here were so eager to engage with each other.

In modern times, even asking someone for a lighter felt like an awkward, hesitant act. So seeing this behavior in these people was truly fascinating.

But now, he was also a part of the Central Plains.

Soon, Jowhi had a broad smile on his face.

“Sir! I’m also from Bongtaehyun! Haha!”

“Oh? Two people from Bongtaehyun?”

Just then, a horn signaling the start of the Peking opera echoed throughout the area.

*Puuuuuu~*

The noisy chatter of the crowd quieted down, and soon, the opera performers began to step onto the stage.

“Ahhh! The Blood of Namo!”

Jowhi was startled by the cry of a child.

A Peking opera performer appeared, wearing a blood-red costume, looking like he had been doused in the blood of freshly slaughtered chickens. The realism of it made Jowhi’s skin crawl.

He was also wearing a mask with the appearance of a vicious demon.

“It’s the Heavenly Sword of Changcheon!”

With a long sword strapped to his waist and a silk robe tightly fastened, he looked imposing and dignified.

Seeing the appearance of Namo Blood Demon, it seemed like they were about to reenact the legendary exploits of the current head of the Namgung family, Changcheon Sword, Namgung Su.

“Wow! The Heavenly Sword of Changcheon!”

Jowhyuk was also thrilled.

To him, the Heavenly Sword of Changcheon was like a figure of worship.

Anyone living in Anhui would likely feel the same way.

But then, someone nearby muttered.

“Every time I come to Hefei, this ridiculous Peking opera is still the same.”

“Exactly. Didn’t Old Man Manbakja already proclaim that Namo Blood Demon was defeated by the Heavenly Thunder Sword Master in the *Winds of the Martial World*?”

“Come now, do you think these simpletons can read such rare books like *Winds of the Martial World*?”

“Well, that’s true.”

The eyes of the people watching the Peking opera all turned toward them.

Everyone glared at them with fiery eyes and angry faces, but soon, the expression of the crowd changed when someone shouted.

“Ze, Ze-gal!”

The embroidered phoenix pattern near their shoulders was unmistakable.

Only direct descendants of the Ze-gal family could wear such clothing.

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd.

People’s reactions varied.

Some showed blatant hostility with their eyes, while others, their faces filled with dejection, moved away.

Some spat on the ground, others shouted with blazing eyes…

“Huh? What’s this nonsense?”

Jowhi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Hyung!”

With a determined expression, Jowhyuk boldly stepped forward!

Because of that, the elderly man who had been standing next to Jowhyuk froze, awkwardly stiffening his body.

He pointed his finger at the Ze-gal family members and seemed like he was about to shout.

This was the same elderly man who had exchanged greetings with the Jow brothers at the back of the Peking opera earlier.

One of the Ze-gal family members frowned and looked at Jowhyuk.

“And you are?”

Jowhyuk proudly took a book from his chest.

“I am a devoted reader of *The Winds of the Martial World*!”

Without letting go of his displeased expression, Jowhyuk continued.

“Of course, the one who personally brought the severed limbs of Namo Blood Demon was indeed the Heavenly Thunder Sword Master! Who could disagree with that fact? But when the missing Heavenly Sword of Changcheon returned to his family after six months, what was that red palm print all over his body? It was undoubtedly *Blood Heaven Great Calamity Hand* (血天大劫手), right? After being struck by the greatest technique of Namo Blood Demon, *Blood Heaven Great Calamity*, he managed to defeat him and return alive! This is a well-known fact to anyone in Anhui!”

“….”

“I, too, greatly respect the profound knowledge of Old Man Manbakja and his insight. But there’s no such thing as a perfect person!”

Jowhi looked at him with surprise.

Wow!

As expected, he was a true martial arts enthusiast.

Wait a second, though. Did he just say Ze-gal?

The Ze-gal family, one of the five great families!

The face of the Ze-gal family representative twisted with a sneer.

“Did you see it?”

Unable to hold back, Jowhyuk glared.

“Are you saying that the Heavenly Sword of Changcheon and the heroes of the Namgung family are lying?”

Despite this, the sneer on the other person’s face remained.

“Tch! Even so, when the rumors spread in Anhui, our Old Man Manbakja personally invited the Heavenly Sword of Changcheon to his family’s home to verify the truth. The fact that he didn’t respond to the invitation was a clear indication of the Namgung family’s stance.”

“…What?”

It seemed like Jowhyuk didn’t know that fact either.

“Of course, Old Man Manbakja wanted to confirm whether the Heavenly Sword of Changcheon had truly defeated Namo Blood Demon after enduring many hardships… or if he had just passed out from being struck by *Blood Heaven Great Calamity* and only later regained consciousness and returned to his family… That’s something we can’t know for sure, right?”

“What?!”

He gritted his teeth and glared fiercely.

But then, with a smug grin, Jowhyuk shouted angrily.

“Then, did Old Man Manbakja personally see the Heavenly Thunder Sword Master cut off Namo Blood Demon’s limbs? Maybe he *brought the severed limbs of the dead* back with him?”

As soon as Jowhyuk finished speaking, the elderly man beside him suddenly grabbed his stomach and laughed out loud.

“Hehehe! Brought the severed limbs back! Hehehe!”

The leader of the Ze-gal group now looked coldly at Jowhyuk.

“You, even though you’re a commoner, must understand that a man’s words come with responsibility.”

Shivers ran down Jowhyuk’s spine as a menacing aura filled the air.

Jowhi quickly stepped forward and waved his hands in a panic.

“L-Lord Warriors! This guy seems to have lost his mind! He’s just a madman! Let’s go, let’s go! Why did you come out? Let’s go play with the puppy! We should play *woof woof*!”

“This is madness… Ugh!”

Jowhyuk’s mouth was quickly covered as Jowhi swiftly pulled him out of the area.

“Yeah. You’re the one who’s mad. Let’s go play *woof woof*.”

—

“Ha…”

Jowhyuk sat quietly in a corner of the inn, reflecting on his actions.

“You said you wouldn’t cause trouble?”

Seriously, one has to know when and where to lose their temper.

Ha… I’m getting old.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that we were in the middle of the performance and there were so many people watching, oh, really… Do you want me to give you some pocket money? Want to go home?”

“N-No.”

“Dammit! What do you mean ‘not’? You promised like a man not to say a word! And what happens? As soon as we arrive in Hefei, you start picking a fight with the Ze-gal family? You act like you can easily pull out a sword strike with just a wooden sword, like it’s nothing!”

Then, Jowhi pursed his lips and mimicked Jowhyuk.

“You think you’re amazing, huh? You think my life is not serious enough?”

Embarrassed, Jowhyuk’s neck shrank like a turtle’s.

“Two times being serious, and even the leader of the Martial World Alliance might slap you in the face. Ugh… I’m the crazy one. I’m the crazy one! Ugh!”

He gulped down a drink of fiery liquor like water.

“Ugh!”

Jowhyuk, who was staring at him intensely, suddenly brightened up when he saw something.

“Brother Bi! Over here! Here!”

The curtain to the inn opened, and Shangguan Bi entered.

To Jowhyuk, he was a savior.

Noticing the strange atmosphere between the Jow brothers, Shangguan Bi cautiously asked as he stood.

“What happened?”

Jowhyuk sighed, rubbing his temples as if he didn’t want to think about it.

“Ha… It’s nothing. Forget it. Please, sit down.”

Shangguan Bi awkwardly smiled and sat down, and Jowhyuk immediately got to the point.

“Brother, please tell me everything you know about the Namgung family. As much as you can, please.”

Although Jowhyuk’s demand for information about the Namgung family might have been unappealing, Shangguan Bi didn’t seem bothered.

He knew well that once Jowhyuk focused on something, no one could stop him.

“Hmm. The Namgung family…”

Shangguan Bi began a long explanation.

He talked about the origins of the Namgung family, major past events, relationships with other great families, their position in the martial world, and the nature of their martial arts.

It was a lengthy explanation, but to Jowhyuk, much of it was useless information.

“Brother, the information that can be obtained from *The Winds of the Martial World* or from an information broker is already known to me. What I need is detailed personal information about the current head of the family, as well as the key members of the Namgung family— their personalities, tendencies, personal goals, preferences, conflicts, and hidden corruption… things like that.”

Shangguan Bi was left stunned by such specific requests.

These were extremely detailed pieces of information.

“Look, brother. The information you want is the kind of high-level intel that most information brokers wouldn’t even handle. I can’t do much either. The information I can gather with the resources of the guild is limited.”

Jowhyuk nodded silently, understanding.

He had already visited the information brokers before, but couldn’t obtain anything beyond a certain level.

“Isn’t there any other way?”

“Hmm… there is one way…”

“There is a way?”

Shangguan Bi gave a hesitant look.

“Well, there are legendary information organizations like *Night Butterfly* (夜蝶) or *Moonlit Forest* (月下林)… Such enormous organizations likely have the information you’re looking for. But as a mere third son of a merchant guild, there’s no way I could meet with them. Even if I could, the fees they would demand would be astronomical.”

“Night Butterfly… Moonlit Forest…”

“These are legendary information organizations in the martial world. There are many rumors about them, but it’s unclear if they even exist.”

Jowhyuk felt a tight, frustrating sensation in his chest.

Generally, information brokers asked for exorbitant prices for trivial information. He had been shocked by their ridiculous prices more than once.

Let alone legendary information organizations.

It was obvious that their prices would be outrageous.

After spending a lot of money on a recent project, his finances weren’t exactly abundant.

More than that, searching for such secretive organizations was practically impossible.

“…How long would it take just to request an audience?”

Shangguan Bi’s face showed a trace of helplessness.

“How many people do you think send requests to the Namgung family for an audience every day? Hundreds. And as you know, there’s a limit to how many guests one can receive in a day. Therefore, seven or eight out of those hundreds will return without even seeing Lord Namgung Baek, the Inner Court Master.”

Jowhyuk, who had been listening, showed curiosity.

“Hundreds a day?”

“That’s right. When submitting an audience request, the type of invitation given depends on the status of the guest. The military and governmental officials receive the golden invitation first, followed by martial artists who are ranked within the martial world, who get the silver invitations. Of course, the general public is excluded. Only those from at least prominent families or those with a high standing can receive these.”

“And what’s next?”

“Next, those with direct connections to the Namgung family receive the bronze invitation. These include people who regularly supply goods like weapons, clothes, and food, as well as collateral branches of the family.”

Jowhyuk, who had been listening, raised another question.

“Is there more?”

“Of course. After that, martial artists who wish to join the Namgung family receive the red invitation. To continually strengthen their power, they can’t ignore such people.”

“…Ah!”

“Finally, those who are looking to start trading with the Namgung family, such as merchants or those seeking patronage, like you… all these people are given the green invitation.”

Jowhyuk, hearing all of this, looked downcast.

“Among the golden, silver, bronze, red, and green, we’re at the very bottom.”

Shangguan Bi smiled bitterly.

“Would we be any different? Even our Huolong Guild is waiting with a green invitation. In the past, it took my father more than a month to see the Inner Court Master.”

Shivering.

They really have some exorbitant demands.

If it took the guild’s head, one of the top five in Anhui, more than a month, then there’s really no answer to this.

Of course, they couldn’t just turn back after coming all the way to Hefei.

Jowhyuk bowed respectfully to Shangguan Bi.

“Brother, thank you for your advice.”

Shangguan Bi showed a slightly awkward expression.

“I didn’t really offer any help. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance. So, what are you planning to do now?”

Jowhyuk’s eyes shone sharply.

“First, I’ll give it a try. I’ll be going to the Namgung family tomorrow.”

Shangguan Bi returned the bow with a smile.

“I wish you luck, brother.”

As Jowhyuk was lying down in the guesthouse tower, organizing his thoughts, he heard a familiar voice again.

– “Child. When will you go to the Sword Tomb?”

It was the Sword Master.

“Must I really go to the Sword Tomb? Can’t you teach me your martial arts directly instead?”

– “Anyone who hasn’t been to the Sword Tomb cannot inherit my swordsmanship! How many times must I tell you this?”

At first, Jowhyuk was filled with eagerness, begging the Sword Master to teach him as soon as possible.

But the Sword Master only kept repeating that he must go to the Sword Tomb.

“Master, it’s so far. It will take at least four or five months to get there… As you know, I have so much going on here in Anhui…”

– “You must go! Do you think I, the Sword Master, who was called the Demon Sword of Chochun, would leave behind a legacy if I could pass down my secrets with mere words?”

“Ugh…”

The Sword Tomb the Master mentioned was located at the boundary of Gansu and Shaanxi.

It was truly too far.

If only he could use the relay stations, he might be able to change horses, but the officials wouldn’t lend a horse to an ordinary civilian like him.

This meant he would have to travel while allowing the horses to rest every half day.

By rough calculations, there would be over seventy villages to pass through.

During the hours of rest, he couldn’t move, so he could only pass through a village once every two days, meaning he would need at least five months to get there—if nothing unexpected happened.

That, of course, assumed no unforeseen circumstances.

If he ran into bandits or his horses were injured, the five months would no longer be guaranteed.

There was a real possibility that he could lose his life on the road before even arriving.

Anhui was his base, so the journey wasn’t easy, but it was relatively more manageable.

But even in the Henan province, where he had to pass through, he had no idea which mountains were dangerous, where the official roads ended, or where shortcuts were…

He had no information at all. So wherever he went, he would need to gather information carefully.

Ultimately, it all came down to money and time.

Traveling through two provinces was no small task.

“Ugh…”

But he couldn’t miss the opportunity to learn the Sword Master’s martial arts.

“I’ll go to the Sword Tomb as soon as possible.”

– “When will you go?”

Jowhyuk scratched the back of his head.

“With the green invitation… I’m not sure. A month? Two months?”

– “Too late! The disciples of great families begin basic training from five or six years old. And you’re already nearing adulthood. Even now, your bones are stiff and your blood channels are blocked… This won’t do. I’ll borrow your body temporarily, even if it consumes my spiritual energy. Prepare yourself!”

“What? Borrow my body?”

– “I’ll amplify my spiritual energy and temporarily possess your body.”

“No, Master! Wait a moment! Ahh!”

Woooosh!

Soon, Jowhyuk lost control of his body as his vision went dark.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Jowhyuk, or rather the Sword Master, scowled as he examined Jowhyuk’s body.

“Hmph! What a pitiful body.”

The lack of internal energy could be attributed to the fact that Jowhyuk hadn’t trained in internal cultivation, but his overall physical balance, including his strength, was truly disappointing.

This was a body that had hardly seen any exercise at all!

“I won’t need more than half an incense stick’s worth of time to control this body. I’ll use your innate vitality for now.”

‘W-What? Master, you mean my innate vitality!’

“Shut up.”

*Rip!*

Jowhyuk’s clothes were torn from his sleeves to his shoulders in an instant.

As a soul, Jowhyuk, witnessing this, was horrified.

‘What, what’s going on?! Is he turning into the Hulk?!’

His muscles swelled up dramatically!

For a moment, the enlarged muscles remained, then slowly shrank back to their original size.

Then, with a foul smell, thick brown waste began to pour out of his sweat pores.

Once the right arm was done, the left arm followed.

*Rip!*

Again, Jowhyuk’s arms swelled up, growing five times larger!

‘Wow…!’

The rapid expansion of his muscles, growing several times in size, was a sight to behold.

But Jowhyuk had no idea what the Sword Master was doing to his body.

After a while, the Sword Master repeated the process, starting with the arms and moving to his chest, abdomen, back, legs, and even his face.

Jowhyuk’s clothes were now drenched in thick brown waste.

“I’ve used your innate vitality to open all your bones and meridians.”

‘Master! From what I know, using innate vitality…’

Jowhyuk knew that using innate vitality recklessly could shorten one’s life.

“Hmph! What does it matter if you lose ten years of life?”

‘Cough! T-Ten years?!’

Does this old man think his own body’s life span is irrelevant?!

“If you inherit all my sword techniques and complete them, then I won’t care about your lifespan at all. Now… I’ll return control.”

*Whoosh!*

Suddenly, Jowhyuk’s vision returned.

At that moment, a painful scream echoed.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Jowhyuk collapsed, clutching his body.

The excruciating pain that felt as if his entire body was being torn apart was unbearable.

– “What a weak mind you have. Why scream so loudly at such little pain?”

“Ugh…!”

Jowhyuk wanted to curse, but he couldn’t even muster the strength to respond.

– “The consumption of spiritual energy was enormous, so I won’t be able to speak with you for a while… Do remember… always focus on improving both your body and mind…”

The Sword Master’s voice gradually faded.

Jowhyuk, unable to withstand the pain, fainted.

* * *

The chill of the early morning dew caused Jowhyuk to regain consciousness.

As memories of the excruciating pain resurfaced, a cold shiver ran down his spine.

The brutal agony was something he never wanted to recall.

“Ugh…”

As he slowly opened his blurry eyes and inspected his body, he was shocked.

“What?”

His body had transformed into one as solid as someone trained in external martial arts.

His body, sculpted like a statue, was hard to believe.

This was clearly the work of the Sword Master’s reckless actions.

At first, he was enraged by the fact that ten years of his life had been taken away, but upon seeing his newly transformed body, all those feelings melted away like snow.

‘This is amazing!’